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Biography
Isma'il ibn Musa (fl. ca. 850–889) was an Muslim lord in the Upper March (Arabic: الثغر الأعلى , aṯ-Ṯaḡr al-Aʿlà) of al-Andalus, as well as walī of Larida. He hailed from the prominent Muwallad Banu Qasi clan (Arabic: بنو قسي), and was the son of Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi and his wife Maymuna bint Zahir ibn Furtun, who was his first-cousin.
For some years, he lived in Córdoba as an hostage-guest of its emir, Muhammad I, being the necessary pledge which guaranteed the Banu Qasi's loyalty to the Emirate of Córdoba. In 850, he was still in Córdoba. Once liberated, he joined the revolt initiated by all his brothers against Muhammad I, to the end of 870, even forming an alliance with the Kingdom of Pamplona and King Alfonso III of Asturias Isma'il seized Zaragoza and Montsó in 872. In 882, his own nephew, Muhammad ibn Lubb (loyal to Córdoba), made him prisoner, but he was set free again a short time later.
Having been restored as walī of Larida in 884, Isma'il was attacked at Larida by Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, to obstruct the fortification of its walls and its al-qaṣabah (Arabic: القصبة). Isma'il defeated the attacking Barcelona troops and pursued them as far as to the Llobregat valley.